malice

/ˈmæləs/

/ˈmælɪs/

Other forms: malices

Malice is the intention to cause harm. If someone feels malice toward you, look out! They've got bad intentions.

Just like the Spanish mal, this is a word for badness or evil. Malice isn't just any evil, though: it's evil done intentionally by someone seeking to do harm. People feel malice for people they hate. Malice is even stronger than spite. Out of all the emotions and thoughts you can have, malice is one of the most dangerous. Just about every villain in every movie and TV show is full of malice.

Definitions of malice

1. noun

   feeling a need to see others suffer
   synonyms: maliciousness, spite, spitefulness, venom

   type of:

   malevolence, malignity

   wishing evil to others
2. noun

   the quality of threatening evil
   synonyms: malevolence, malevolency

   types:

   bitchiness, cattiness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness

   malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty

   cruelness, cruelty, harshness

   the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance

   beastliness, meanness

   the quality of being deliberately mean

   brutality, ferociousness, savagery, viciousness

   the trait of extreme cruelty

   murderousness

   cruelty evidence by a capability to commit murder

   type of:

   evil, evilness

   the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice